Apparatus for making sheet glass



Aug. 17, 1926.

1,596,654 J. s. GREGORIUS APPARATUS FOR MAKING- SHEET GLASS Filed Jan. 13. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A J. 5. 'GREG ORIUS {APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET GLASS Filed Jan. 13. 1926 Aug. 17, 1926.

Aug. 17, 1926. 1,596,654

J. 5. GREGORIUS APPARATUS FOR MAKING SHEET GLASS Filed Jan. 13, 1926 3Sfieets-Sheet 5 FIE-3.3.

it'll Patented Aug. l7, l fih.

QTATES JOSEPH S. GREGORIUS,

0F MOUNT VERNO N, OHIO, ASSIGNOB, T0 PITTSBURGH PLATE GLASS COMJPAILSY, A CORPORATION OF E'ENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR'MAKING SHEET GLASS.

Application filed January The invention relates to an apparatus for making sheet. glass applicable where'a continuous sheet is drawn bath; and involves an improvement on the Slingluili' edge holding means of the type disclosed. in the Slinglull Patent No. 1,549,513 of August 11, 1925. I have found that when this type of edge holding device is used over a pool surrounded by enclosing walls, which cut down the radiation of heat from the'slotted plates, there is a tendency oi the edges of the glass sheet to pull away from the plates, and tire object of the invention is to overcome this dilliculty.

l have found that this may be accomplished successfully, and a close regulation of the temperature of the slotted edge of the holding disc secured by the use of a small two-part'water cooler, which" is set down into the device and preferably contacts with a limited area of the device along the sides of the'slotthrough which the glass is drawn. The coolers are limitedv in size and the amount of water circulated therethrough is limited as a too great cooling tends to cause fire cracks and render the edges brittle. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a vertical section through the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken at rightangles to the section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the edge holding devices with the improvement applied thereto. And Fig. l is a side elevation of one of the cooling devices shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 1 is a forehearth or drawing tank connected with a melting tank preferably of the regenerator type from which the glass sheet 2 is to be drawn continuously. The surface of the bath in the torehearth is par tially covered over by means of the plates 3 and t and the l. blocks 5 and 6. Mounted above the opening between the l... blocks is the leer 7 which carries the means for draw mg the glass continuously upward from the bath. The means employed for drawing the glass comprises a series of pairs of rollers 8. 9, 10, etc., driven by suitable means and either made up of asbestos discs or of central supporting members having an asbestos covering. The rolls lying on one side of the sheet are preferably fixed against lateral 'movement, while the rollers on the other from an open pool or.

or ribbon 1a, 1926. Serial No. some.

side are yieldingly pressed against the sheet by means of counterweighted levers, as is well known in the art. Any other suitable drawing means might be employed.

The leer is divided into a series of compartments by means of the inc-lined ballle plates 11, '12, etc, and the temperature of these compartments decreases progressively upward so that the glass is gradually cooled and annealed as it passes through the leer, being cut into separate sheets as it emerges from the upper end of the leer. At the lower end of the leer is a pair of plates 13 and 14 of the shape indicated in Fig. 1, such plates acting as a partial closure for the compartment 15 at the bottom of the leer and also serving to catch any broken glass falling from this compartment.

The space into which the glass sheet is drawn beneath the leer is closed in by means of the endplates 16 and 17 and the side plates 18 and 19 and the glass is further shielded by means of the inclined plates 20 supported at their lower ends upon the l blocks 5 and 6 and resting at their upper ends against the transverse water cooled pipes 21.

The edge holding devices comprise the dish shaped members 22 slot-ted as indicated at 23 and located adjacent the surface of the bath. These members are preferably made of cast iron or cast, steel thick and heavy. in service, they become red hot and act as reflectors maintaining the areas of glass therebeneath considerably hotter than would otherwise be the case. The slots 23 are somewhat wider than the thickness of the glass and the contact between the glass and the edge of the slot is relatively slight. There is, however, suliicient adherence to prevent the edge of the sheet from and are relatively working inward during the drawing operation unless the metal reaches too high a temperature. in which case, the devices will release their hold upon the edges of the sheet.

24 and 25 arranged on 3, and eachprovided with a pair of water pool of molten glass, of means for preventpipes 26 'and 27 for circulating water ing inward movement of the edge of the through the members 24 and 25, 26 being the sheet in said pool comprising a shielding inlet pipe and 27 being the outlet pipe. The plate spaced above the surface of the pool boxes or members 24 and 25 are preferably but closely adjacent thereto and having a of the shape shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and are slot extending inward from its edge and fitset down into the dish-shaped plate 22 so ting around the edge of the sheet, a cooling that their lower portions contact with the member mounted on the plate along each side upper surface of the members 22. The plates .of the slot, and means for circulating a cool- 22 are in this manner cooled to a limited deiug liquid through said members.

gree along the edges of the slots 23, and as 2. In combination with apparatus ara result, the glass edge will not pull away ranged to draw a glass sheet from an open from the plate. The amount of water circupool of molten glass, of means for preventing lated through the pipes 26 and 27 must be inward movement of the edge of the sheet in carefully regulated, as too much cooling will said pool comprising a shielding plate of chill the edge of the sheet to too great an dish shape, with its convex side down, spaced extent, making such edge toohard and tendabove the surface of the pool, but closely ading to roughen the edge and cause breakage. jacent thereto and having a slot extendin The plates 22 may be sup-ported in any -deinward from its edge and fitting around the sired manner, so that they can be adjusted edge of the sheet, a cooling box or member to meet requirements. As illustrated, the extending down into the shielding plate adplates are supported upon bars 28 passing jacent to said slot on either side thereof, and through forked supports 29 seated upon the means 'for circulating a cooling liquid side walls of the .furnace, the rear end of through said boxes or members. the bars passing through adjustable rods 30 3. In combination with apparatus arcarricd by the standards 31. The posit n of ranged to draw a glass sheet from an open the rod 30 is fixed by means of the set crew pool of molten glass, of means for prevent- 32. Theinvention is not limited to t use ing inward movement of the edge of the of a slotted plate 22 of the form illustiated, sheet in said pool comp-rising a shielding although this type of plate located with its plate, spaced above the surface of the pool convex side down and closely adjacent to but closely adjacent thereto and having aslot the surface of the glass is the preferred extending inward from its edge and fitting form of construction, and the one which has around the edge of the sheet, a cooling box given the best results. The cooling boxes or or member extending down into the shieldmembers 24 and 25 may also be made of ing plate and contacting with the surface of other shapes than the one shown, and do not the shielding plate, and means for circulatnecessarily have to contact with the surface .ing a cooling liquid through said boxes or of the plate 22, although it is preferred to members. have such contact so that the metal of the In testimony whereof, I have hereunto plate is cooled by. conduction. subscribed my name this 18th day of De- What I claim is: .pember, 1925. 1. In combination with apparatus arranged to draw a glass sheet from an open J. S. GREGORIUS. 

